Due to the rising number of mobile phone users, having a mobile-friendly WordPress site is now a necessity. Therefore, WordPress development companies in India and around the world are working towards making this possible. No matter how common a mobile-friendly site is, they are not easy to make and maintain. So how do WordPress development companies do it? It takes quite a bit of practice to create a beautiful, responsive website. Here’s a look at why responsive design is important and how WordPress development companies in India and around the world help you build one.

Why do you need Responsive Websites?

In 2016, almost 52.7 % of all internet users accessed the internet via their mobile devices. Studies show that this number will only grow further in the future. So what does this mean for the future of websites and WordPress development companies in India? Since more than half the population now prefer phones and tablets over desktops, your website needs to be able to adapt and display effectively on any screen size. Hence, WordPress development companies are shifting their focus onto building mobile-friendly designs which are highly responsive. Not only does this lead to better user experience, but it also helps in converting leads and furthering growth.

Furthermore, from 2015, Google’s search algorithm has been rewarding websites that are mobile-friendly and responsive. Therefore, if you have a highly responsive website, chances are that you will end up higher on Google’s rankings. This, in turn, leads to more viewers and visitors, helping you funnel your leads and convert them more efficiently. Luckily for you, if your WordPress site isn’t up to the mark when it comes to response, there are several methods to make it good to go. Here’s a look at some ways WordPress development companies help you make your website more responsive.

Test Yourself First

The very first step in building a responsive website is bench-marking your current design to know where you stand with regards to responsiveness. So go ahead and take a mobile-friendly test to understand your current level of responsiveness, and to figure out ways to improve your performance. While your website might look great on a device, you need to test it with multiple screen sizes to truly understand how responsive it is. Test it on every screen or mobile phone you have to ensure a good response. Also, to make things simpler you can use the free tool handed out by Google. All you need to do to test your website is to enter your URL and wait for your results. The quick assessment will tell you if your website is mobile-friendly or not. Once you know where you stand, let us start getting better.

Creating a Responsive WordPress Website- Theme 

If you are using a WordPress Theme built by any reputed WordPress development company, then chances are you are good to go. However, if you are using an old theme, there might be a reason to worry. Therefore, make sure you switch to a more updated theme to ensure maximum mobile optimization. Double-check both your WordPress and Theme version, and update them if needed. For instance, WordPress 4.4 added several functionalities that helped developers build responsive images. In case your updates don’t help, go for a different, newer theme that focuses on mobile-friendly services. Before you decide on any new theme, test the demo out on multiple devices and read as many reviews as possible.

Creating Your Own Responsive Theme

If you want to make your own mobile-friendly theme, then that’s a great option too. Remember to start out slow and really experiment before making any drastic changes. A great option would be to use Local and experiment to your heart’s content before finalizing your ideas. Local gives you the freedom to work with multiple options without actually tearing up your current website. Furthermore, this WordPress development tool allows you to create shareable URLs to test how your site looks on various devices. While designing, ask yourself how you want your images to scale, how the navigation bar needs to look and also what content your website needs to hide. Make use of media queries to set boundaries for your design, and think of every element individually before integrating it into the design.

Tips for Responsive Web Design

• Make use of responsive plug-ins as much as possible.
• Always ensure all your widgets and CTA buttons scale well on different screen sizes.
• In case you have a button that misbehaves, give an option to disable them while scaling up or down.
• Avoid pop-ups when it comes to mobile devices as they can be very annoying.
• Consider all the media you have on your website and strategist effectively, keeping in mind a responsive design.
• Hide certain elements if they do not scale properly. 
•  Make sure you keep track of your media size to ensure your pages load on time.
•  Use the smallest file size available, without compromising on quality.